AI-assisted summary
• The NHL once held games on Christmas Day, but the practice ended after the 1971-72 season.
• The league’s first Christmas game was in 1920 between the Toronto St. Pat’s and the Montreal Canadiens.
• From 1926 to 1971, the NHL scheduled games on Christmas Day for 45 consecutive years.
• Today, the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement includes a holiday break from Dec. 24-26 with no games, practices, or travel.

Unlike the NBA and NFL, the NHL doesn’t have games on Christmas Day. However, there was a time when there was NHL action on Dec. 25.

In the first three years of the NHL’s existence, there were no games on Christmas Day, but that changed in 1920. The Toronto St. Pat’s defeated the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 in the league’s first-ever game on Christmas.

For the following three years, the NHL didn’t schedule a game on Dec. 25. 

In 1924, those festivities returned with two games on the timetable. This time, the Hamilton Tigers beat the St. Pat’s 8-1, and the Boston Bruins were silenced in a 5-0 loss to the Canadiens.

After that, they skipped another year. But 1926 marked the beginning of a 45-year streak of NHL action on Christmas Day, which lasted until 1971.

With games during a big holiday, some wild scorelines came to fruition.

The biggest win came in 1930 when the Detroit Falcons defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 10-1. Hockey Hall of Famer Ebbie Goodfellow scored four goals and five points in that contest. 

On the same day, the Bruins won 8-0 against the Philadelphia Quakers. The Quakers would go on to have one of the worst seasons in NHL history. They finished the campaign with a 4-36-4 record and a .136 points percentage.

A notable Christmas Day was in 1967, when the NHL had its first major expansion. The league introduced six new teams: the California Seals, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues.

The highest-scoring game that day was between the Bruins and Seals, which Boston won 6-3. Boston’s Derek Sanderson and Pittsburgh’s Andy Bathgate scored the most points on this day, each recording two goals and a helper.

The last time the NHL had games on Christmas Day was in the 1971-72 season. There were six games on that day, and all teams were in action except for the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Black Hawks.

Since then, there have been zero games on Dec. 25. These days, teams aren’t allowed to play, practice or even travel during the holiday break from Dec. 24 to 26.

While other leagues in North American sports use Christmas as a time to set up marquee matchups and create a big event, the NHL remains true to giving the players, staff and arena workers time off during the break to spend time with their families.

Game data is according to hockey-reference.com.

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Christmas brings playoff gifts for multiple teams as Week 17 gets ready to kick off.

The Philadelphia Eagles became the first NFC East team to win the division in back-to-back seasons in 21 years. The Seattle Seahawks’ thrilling win over the Los Angeles Rams clinched their playoff spot as they control their own destiny in the conference.  

The playoff-bound New England Patriots and Denver Broncos are in a race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. But the Jacksonville Jaguars are lurking.

We’re in the penultimate week of the regular season with still a lot left to be decided. Who is in best position for a trip to Santa Clara for Super Bowl 60? Here’s an early look at some predictions and picks to win the AFC, NFC and which team will hoist the Lombardi Trophy in February.

AFC standings ahead of Week 17

1. Denver Broncos (12-3)
2. New England Patriots (12-3)
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (11-4)
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6)
5. Los Angeles Chargers (11-4)
6. Buffalo Bills (11-4)
7. Houston Texans (10-5)

AFC Championship prediction: Bills survive against Patriots

Josh Allen’s the fourth player in NFL history with at least 3,000 passing yards and 25 touchdown passes in six of his first eight career seasons, per NFL Research. The Bills are too reliant on Allen, but I predict he’ll have plenty of assistance against the Patriots in an all-AFC East championship game.

Running back James Cook produces over 130 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. Buffalo’s defense gets just enough stops as the Bills upset the Patriots in Foxborough again.

It’ll mark Buffalo’s first Super Bowl appearance since the 1993 season.

NFC standings ahead of Week 17

1. Seattle Seahawks (12-3)
2. Chicago Bears (11-4)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (10-5)
4. Carolina Panthers (8-7)
5.  Los Angeles Rams (11-4)
6. San Francisco 49ers (10-4)
7. Green Bay Packers (9-5-1)

NFC Championship prediction: Eagles hang on against Rams (again)

The Eagles are starting to play better football. I believe the Eagles finally find their groove during win-or-go-home situations in the postseason.

Philadelphia’s offense has struggled to establish an identity and they haven’t been consistent this season. But I predict they return to form with running back Saquon Barkley leading the way.

Barkley ran all over the Rams in two meetings last season, but he was limited to 55 yards from scrimmage in a Week 3 win over Los Angeles.

The Eagles have won four straight games, including the playoffs, against the Rams dating back to 2023. The Rams’ explosive offense will keep this game close, but Philly’s overall talent on both sides of the ball prevails.

Super Bowl 60 prediction

Losers of four Super Bowls in a row in the early 90s, the Bills have a painful Super Bowl history. Unfortunately for Buffalo, Feb. 8 will add to the franchise’s Super Bowl misery.

The Eagles have back-to-back standout performances to complete their title defense and win their second-straight Super Bowl.

Philadelphia’s opportunistic defense forces two takeaways and the team scores 14 points off the turnovers.

Super Bowl 60 odds breakdown

According to the current betting odds at BetMGM, the Los Angeles Rams have the best odds of winning Super Bowl 60 at +425.

NFL playoff schedule

• Wild card round: Saturday, Jan. 10 to Monday, Jan. 12, 2026
• Divisional round: Saturday, Jan. 17 to Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026
• Conference championship: Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026
• Super Bowl: Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

The Rainbow Warriors got their Christmas miracle.

Quarterback Micah Alejado and Hawai’i beat the California Golden Bears 35-31 to win the 2025 Hawai’i Bowl on Dec. 24.

Alejado completed 32 of his 46 passes for 274 and three touchdowns for the Rainbow Warriors. He also finished with five carries for 33 yards, including a 12-yard run.

Despite his success throughout the game, Hawaii had to lean on backup quarterback Luke Weaver, who threw the game-winning touchdown – a 22-yard strike to Nick Cenacle – in the final seconds of the game. Alejado had to sit out a play after his helmet came off on the previous play.

Cenacle finished the game with eight catches for 59 yards and the touchdown, while Pofele Ashlock led Hawai’i with 14 receptions for 123 yards and two touchdowns.

Freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele led Cal’s offense, completing 28 of 39 passes for 343 yards and a touchdown in the loss. The quarterback also rushed for 15 yards and a touchdown on four carries.

Cal had two 100-yard receivers in the contest with Jacob De Jesus grabbing nine catches for 137 yards and a touchdown, and Trond Grizzell tallying eight receptions for 105 yards.

USA TODAY Sports had full coverage of the lone bowl game on Christmas Eve. Here’s how the game between Cal and Hawai’i played out:

Hawaii vs. Cal: Hawaii Bowl highlights

Final: Hawaii 35, Cal 31

The Rainbow Warriors beat Cal with the late touchdown throw by Luke Weaver to Nick Cenacle with 10 seconds remaining in the game.

There was some pushing and shoving on the field after the game.

Hawaii leads Cal late

Hawaii backup quarterback Luke Weaver completed a 22-yard touchdown to Nick Cenacle with 10 seconds left in the game. PAT good. Hawaii leads Cal 35-31.

Starting quarterback Micah Alejado had to sit out the play after his helmet came off on the previous play.

Cal back in front

Quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele scores on a 1-yard run to cap off a 10-play, 75-yard drive. PAT good. Cal leads Hawaii 31-28 with 1:57 left in the fourth quarter.

Hawaii takes first lead of game

Quarterback Micah Alejado helped lead Hawaii on a four-play, 59-yard drive to put the Rainbow Warriors ahead of the Golden Bears.

Alejado completed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Brandon White. Hawaii leads Cal 28-24 with 7:25 left in the fourth quarter.

Cal retakes lead against Hawaii

Kicker Chase Meyer made a 22-yard field goal attempt to give Cal the 24-21 lead with 8:56 left in the fourth quarter. The score capped off a 10-play, 67-yard drive.

Coach Nick Rolovich considered going for it on 4th-and-goal before deciding to call a timeout and settling for the field goal attempt.

Cal, Hawaii tied in fourth quarter

Micah Aleado returned to the game after an injury scare at the end of the third quarter and found Pofele Ashlock to score on a 3-yard touchdown for Hawaii.

Cal and Hawaii are tied at 21 with 13:50 left to play in regulation.

3Q: Cal 21, Hawaii 13

Quarterback Luke Weaver enters the game for the final play of the third quarter after Micah Alejado was slow to get off the field.

Alejado managed to walk off the field on his own and could return to the game in the fourth quarter.

Hawaii cuts into Cal’s lead

Kansei Matsuzawa capped off a 13-play, 61-yard drive with a 39-yard field goal. Cal leads Hawaii 21-13 with 5:58 left in the third quarter.

Halftime: Cal 21, Hawaii 10

Hawaii finished out the first half with some momentum after Kansei Matsuzawa managed to make a 29-yard filed goal attempted with 27 seconds left in the second quarter.

Matsuzawa missed a 50-yard field goal attempt earlier in the game. It was his first miss from 40+ yards this season, according to ESPN.

Hawaii quarterback Micah Alejado completed 17 of 28 passes for 131 yards and a passing touchdown in the first half. He also rushed for 16 yards on two carries.

Quarterback Jaron-Keawe finished the first half completing 14 of his 19 passes for 169 yards and a passing touchdown for Cal. He also rushed for 20 yards.

Hawaii scores for the first time

Quarterback Micah Alejado found Pofele Ashlock for the 67-yard touchdown. Kansei Matsuzawa’s PAT attempt was good.

Cal still holds a 21-7 lead with 3:57 left before halftime.

Cal continues to roll

Anthony League rushed up the middle for an eight-yard touchdown run. The play capped off an 8-play, 49-yard drive that took 3:13 off the clock in the second quarter.

Chase Meyer’s PAT attempt was good. Cal leads Hawaii 21-0 with 9:38 left in the first quarter.

Cal extends lead to start second quarter

Kendrick Raphael rushed for 19 yards up the middle to score for the Golden Bears on the first play of the second quarter. PAT was good. Meyer’s PAT attempt was good. Cal leads Hawaii 14-0 with 14:55 left before halftime.

1Q: Cal 7, Hawaii 0

Cal finished out the first score with the lead and a chance to score again. Cal finished out the opening quarter in the red zone on offense.

Hawaii was out-gained 141-47 in the quarter.

Cal scores first

Quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele found receiver Jacob De Jesus for the wide-open 41-yard touchdown. Sagapolutele completed all five of his passes on the drive for 64 yards.

Chase Meyer’s PAT attempt was good. Cal leads Hawaii 7-0 with 7:01 left in the first quarter.

Hawaii comes up empty on opening drive

Quarterback Micah Alejado completed four of five passes for 12 yards on the opening drive for Hawaii but the offense was unable to score.

Cal forced the Rainbow Warriors to punt, ending the drive after seven plays and just 13 yards gained.

What channel is Cal vs Hawaii on today?

• TV Channel: ESPN
• Livestream:Fubo (free trial)

Cal vs Hawai’i will broadcast nationally on ESPN for the Hawai’i Bowl. Chris Cotter and Max Browne will call the game from the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu, Hawai’i, with Harry Lyles Jr. reporting from the sidelines. Streaming options for the game include Watch ESPN and Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.

Cal vs Hawaii time today

• Date: Wednesday, Dec. 24
• Start time: 8 p.m. ET (3 p.m. Hawai’i-Aleutian standard time)

The Cal vs Hawai’i game starts at 8 p.m. ET (3 p.m. local time) from the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu, Hawai’i.

Stream Cal vs Hawai’i with Fubo (free trial)

Cal vs Hawaii predictions, picks, odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Monday, Dec. 22.

• Spread: Hawai’i (-1.5)
• Moneyline: Hawai’i (-115) | Cal (-105)
• Over/under: 52.5

Prediction: Cal 29, Hawaii 27

This will be a real fun one to watch, as the Rainbow Warriors have been a great team to watch and can match-up well with the Golden Bears. However, the difference here will be Sagapolutele. Playing close to home, the Cal quarterback puts on in his home state to push Cal to a last-minute victory.

Cal vs. Hawaii injury report

Probable: Cal CB Hezekiah Masses (undisclosed)

Hawaii football jersey for Hawai’i Bowl

The Rainbow Warriors will wear black jerseys with the black helmets for the Hawai’i Bowl today.

It seems all is well between Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr following a Monday argument during a third quarter timeout in their eventual 120-97 win against the Orlando Magic.

Kerr, during a press conference Wednesday, took accountability for the dust up that led to Green briefly walking away from the bench to gain his composure alone in the locker room before returning shortly before the fourth quarter began, despite never taking off his warmups.

‘Monday night was not my finest hour and that was a time I needed to be calm in the huddle, and so I regret my actions in that exchange. I apologized to Dray. He apologized to me. We both apologized to the team.’

Green, a four-time champion in 13 seasons with the Warriors, said after Monday’s game to reporters that ‘tempers spilled over’.

‘I just thought it was best that I get out of there,’ Green said. ‘I don’t think it was a situation where it was going to get better, so it was best to remove myself.’

The cause of the argument Green said was basketball.

‘It’s what we do,’ he said. ‘We play basketball. It’s an emotional game. People lose their emotions sometimes, it happens. It is what it is. We’ve been at this now for a long time. Sometimes you’re with people for a long time there’s a level of comfort and it happens. We move forward.’

Reporters on Monday asked if it was something that would linger on, but Green dismissed it saying they would ‘move forward’.

‘We’ll move forward, we’re alright,’ Green said regarding his spat with Kerr.

The Warriors are currently have a .500 record after 30 games, sitting at the eighth spot in the Western Conference. They have a Christmas Day game Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks and their rookie sensation Cooper Flagg at Chase Center in San Francisco.

‘I think we’re headed in the right direction,’ Green said to reporters Monday. ‘No one’s happy about being 15-15. But I think we’re starting to figure out different things, rotations and who we are as a team so I think that’s all starting to come together and we’re looking a lot better.’

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh defended quarterback Lamar Jackson and said the two have an ‘A-plus’ relationship after the Baltimore Sun published a story insinuating otherwise Dec. 24.

Harbaugh denied the claims made by the story while expressing he doesn’t ‘take too much credence in anonymous-type sources.’

‘I don’t know where its coming from,’ Harbaugh told reporters when asked about Preston’s story. ‘I’ve never see that ever. That’s not something that I’ve ever witnessed and I’m in every meeting.’

‘And to speculate on how I feel about it, I’ll tell you how I feel,’ Harbaugh added. ‘I’m pretty transparent. All the guys in the building will tell you if I have something they wanna talk to me about, I’m right up front. That would be wrong to say that. That’s not true.’

Harbaugh went on to explain he had ‘a great conversation’ with Jackson that morning as the 28-year-old quarterback focuses on returning from a back injury that knocked him out of the team’s ‘Sunday Night Football’ loss to the New England Patriots.

‘Our relationship is A-plus,’ Harbaugh said. ‘I love him. Always have, always will. I know he’s fighting like crazy to get back.’

Harbaugh and Jackson have worked together since the Ravens selected the Louisville product with the final pick of the first round in the 2018 NFL Draft. Across eight seasons, Jackson has led the Ravens to a 76-30 record in 106 starts and has twice won the NFL’s MVP award.

The 2025 NFL season has been a difficult one for the Ravens and Jackson, who has missed three games while dealing with a plethora of nagging injuries. The team enters Week 17 with a 7-8 record and would be eliminated from playoff contention with either a loss or a Pittsburgh Steelers win.

Harbaugh insists all is well between himself, Jackson and the Ravens despite the struggles and Preston’s reporting.

‘I don’t need anyone speaking for me,’ Harbaugh said. ‘Just ask me, and I’ll tell you what I think.’

The knockout will go down as the highlight of the fight.

But another lingering image from Anthony Joshua’s victory over Jake Paul by knockout is Paul repeatedly falling to the canvas, eliciting boos from the crowd at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Dec. 19.

In what appeared to be a deliberate tactic, an exhausted-looking Paul fell to the mat no fewer than six times during the heavyweight bout that ended in Round 6. Online, some commenters accused Paul of attempting MMA-style ‘takedowns,” and once Joshua fell onto Paul.

But none of it prevented Joshua from knocking out Paul in the sixth round – or from breaking Paul’s jaw in two places. But it triggered a debate that continues: Were the falls an ugly tactic that warranted a point deduction from Paul.

The referee, Chris Young, brought both fighters together after Paul fell for the fifth time in Round 5.

“Listen, these tactics have got to stop, OK?’’ Young said while looking at Paul. “…You’re going fight, fight. But within the rules, OK?’’

Young let the fight go without deducting a point, as he did in Round 6 after Paul fell yet again.

“Their fight went the way it went,’’ Young told USA TODAY Sports Wednesday Dec. 24. ‘Ugly fight, sloppy fight.’’

Young said he needed clearance from the Florida Athletic Commission before speaking any more about the fight.

What well-regarded referees say

Robert Byrd and Kenny Bayless are retired referees who have been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. They expressed compassion for Young, the 44-year-old referee from Florida who was officiating the high-profile boxing match livestreamed by Netflix.

“I think he did the best he could,’’ Byrd said. “Kenny or I at some point would have probably called time and said, ‘Look, you got to quit whatever it is that you’re doing here. That’s got to stop, period.’ And then if it didn’t stop, we would probably… have deducted a point for unsportsmanlike conduct.’’

Bayless said he didn’t have a problem with what Young did.

“I probably would’ve done basically the same thing because usually when fighters are going forward and falling like that is because usually their legs are starting to get weak,’’ he said. “And to me, with the amount of movement that Jake did from trying to stay away from Joshua caused his legs to get weak….

“There isn’t a whole lot that a referee he can do in a situation like that other than give him some light warnings and tell him to be mindful of what you’re doing.’’

Jack Reiss, a highly regarded referee who retired in 2024, defended Young.

“He was trying to survive,’’ Reiss said of Paul. “And Chris did a great job because he understood what was in front of him. You know what I mean? Jake was hurting and trying to survive. And when fighters are trying to survive, to fight, they’ll do anything to survive. Why would you penalize him on it?’’

‘It’s not a wrestling match’

The repeated falls were a topic of discussion this week when Jake Paul’s brother, Logan, invited his mother, Pam Stepnick, to his podcast.

It turned out Jake Paul’s mother was not a fan of the move.

 “I yelled, ‘Stop, it’s not a wrestling match,’“ Stepnick said, noting that was before hearing more about it.

Logan Paul bristled at accusations that his brother was attempting takedowns. Of the falls, Logan Paul said, “It’s a strategy that optically looks very bad but it’s conservation of energy…’’ He said he inquired about it while watching Jake Paul train for the fight.

Cassius Chaney, one of Paul’s sparring partners during training camp, confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that the falling is something Paul was working on leading up to the fight.

“They wanted (Paul) to just go with the flow of the big man’s weight,’’ Chaney said, referring to Joshua. “They didn’t want him to fight the push down (from Joshua) because it would fatigue him quicker.’’

And in the end, the tactic did not spare Jake Paul one last fall, following the knockout punch.

Happy Holidays – the penultimate week of the 2025 NFL regular season is upon us. However you might not exactly enjoy what’s underneath the tree on Christmas – the Yuletide’s three streaming contests (Cowboys-Commanders, Lions-Vikings and Broncos-Chiefs) not exactly crackling with compelling subplots or playoff implications despite their intra-divisional pairings.

Saturday’s couplet is a bit more compelling, Texans-Chargers a rematch from last season’s playoffs and potentially a preview of what goes down next month. The Green Bay Packers host the Baltimore Ravens in the night game – both squads residing on the edge of wild-card contention, Baltimore requiring a win to simply survive mathematically into Sunday.

Sunday afternoon isn’t exactly loaded with must-see football, either, though several teams will be jockeying for seeding or trying to stay alive. Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett could set the single-season sack record against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who could clinch the AFC North crown … unless the Ravens do that for them by losing Saturday. Eagles-Bills and Bears-49ers look good on paper, the latter – which is the ‘Sunday Night Football’ offering – bound to have significant impact on who gets the NFC’s No. 1 seed, which comes with a first-round bye and home-field advantage.

Yet, believe it or not, the most important game of Week 17 might be the one in Sin City, where the Las Vegas Raiders will host the New York Giants – they share a league-worst 2-13 record – in the game that could determine who picks atop the 2026 draft.

The recently revitalized Atlanta Falcons host the LA Rams on Monday.

How does the docket unfold? USA TODAY Sports’ panel of NFL experts weighs in with their picks:

(Odds provided by BetMGM)

Week 17 picks, predictions, odds

• Cowboys at Commanders
• Lions at Vikings
• Broncos at Chiefs
• Texans at Chargers
• Ravens at Packers
• Seahawks at Panthers
• Jaguars at Colts
• Saints at Titans
• Cardinals at Bengals
• Steelers at Browns
• Patriots at Jets
• Buccaneers at Dolphins
• Giants at Raiders
• Eagles at Bills
• Bears at 49ers
• Rams at Falcons

In a sign of the times, the Bears received a commitment from James Nnaji, a 7-foot center from Nigeria who was selected in the 2023 NBA Draft. The 21-year-old will be eligible to play immediately for Scott Drew and will have four years of eligibility remaining, a Baylor spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY Sports. The Bears is 9-2 this season.

He was the 31st overall pick — first in the second round — in the 2023 draft by the Detroit Pistons, who was then traded him to the Charlotte Hornets. In September 2024, his rights were traded to the New York Knicks as part of the blockbuster deal that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks.

Despite getting drafted, Nnaji never played in an NBA regular-season game, only playing for the Hornets in the 2023 Summer Classic and the Knicks’ 2025 Summer League team. For New York, he averaged 3.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in five games. He has been playing professionally in Spain for FC Barcelona. He and the team parted ways in August.

It’s certainly unusual to see an NBA draft pick play college basketball, but it’s the latest sign of the line of amateurism being blurred. With name, image and likeness running wild in college sports, the NCAA has changed eligibility guidelines to where athletes who have played professionally have been able to play collegiately.

It’s typically been done with international players, but it’s leaked to those who have played in the NBA G League, which has drawn the ire of coaches across the country.

Reactions to James Nnaji joining Baylor

As news of Nnaji’s commitment to Baylor spread on Dec. 24, it drew some pretty strong responses as people feel it’s ridiculous for a former NBA draft pick to join a college basketball team in the middle of the season.

Notable reactions include Connecticut coach Dan Hurley, who had a slight NSFW response. It’s also left some people confused as to what happens if Nnaji wants to play professionally, if he can get drafted again or would he still have his professional rights owned by the Knicks.